


More Than a Feeling

by TerraCody



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gay Sex, Lesbian Sex, M/M, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-06
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-12 05:05:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5653441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerraCody/pseuds/TerraCody
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An encounter with a Hakkonite spellbinder in the Frostback Basin has left Evelyn, Dorian, Sera, and Cassandra with a rather interesting curse. Solas is hard at work finding a cure for them, but has advised them to "relieve" the effects of the curse themselves. What will they do?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The Dragon Age series and its characters are the property of BioWare and EA. I won’t mince words; this fanfic is nothing but pure smut. It’s been a long time since I’ve written a PWP so I wanted to have another crack at it. There’s no smut though in this first chapter; three of the four central characters of this fanfic will get their own chapter devoted to them. You’ve seen the tags, so I hope you enjoy.

They hadn’t meant to stumble upon the Hakkonites. They’d just fought the _Nox Morta_ , and the battle had proven to be just as difficult as fighting a dragon. They didn’t even stop at camp before meeting up with the Baron. Evelyn had just wanted to get the quest done as quickly as possible and _then_ go to camp.

Of course that would’ve been too simple. So of course not long after meeting with the Baron they were ambushed by the Hakkonites. A rather large group, too. Three warriors, two archers, and one spellbinding mage. Evelyn could feel how depleted her mana was but she mustered enough energy to generate a Spirit Blade to engage them.

Cassandra, despite being tired, rushed right into battle. Both Dorian and Sera hung back, keeping a long-ranged distance from their enemies. But the Hakkonites were relentless, and soon they were all surrounded.

But they persevered. Just a little over five minutes later most of the Hakkonites were dead, and the only one left standing was the seriously injured mage. Evelyn drank a lyrium potion, and she a surge in her mana. She quickly debated using her Resurgence spell or her Mark of the Rift spell, but then the mage got her attention. He was chanting rapidly, and dark energy formed in front of him. Evelyn hadn’t seen any of the Hakkonite mages perform such a spell before, but a surge of panic rose in her and she snapped her left arm up, firing up her Mark of the Rift spell to counter it.

Behind her though, she heard Dorian shout and she felt a whoosh of a spell fly right past her. Her eyes widened as the Hakkonite unleashed his spell. At the same time both her spell _and_ Dorian’s spell hit the ball of energy and the three spells seemed to melt together. A violent explosion filled the air, causing Evelyn’s eardrums to pop. The Hakkonite was the closest to the explosion and was reduced to ash from the power.

The energy then imploded on itself, spreading shockwaves everyone. Evelyn backed up, but a sizzle of energy struck her square in the chest and she cried out in pain. As she collapsed she heard her companions scream, indicating that they were also struck by the spell. She tried to conjure up her Resurgence spell, but dark patches filled her vision and her world abruptly went dark.

Evelyn didn’t know how long she was unconscious, but she was startled awake by Cassandra shaking her shoulders. “Are you all right?” Cassandra asked her. The warrior was sweating profusely and her complexion was pale.

Evelyn tried to respond, but bile rose in her quickly and she pulled away from Cassandra before vomiting all over the ground. Her whole body was on fire—the pain so intense that it was literally making her sick.

“We were all struck by that spell, whatever it was,” Cassandra said shakily, helping Evelyn to stand. “We’re all injured. We need to get back to camp.”

“T-The spell transmutated,” Dorian stammered. The other mage was also pale and was shaking rather violently. “It changed into something else, something different. I-I don’t know what the Hakkonite was trying to cast, but the combination of our three spells hit all of us and we’re feeling the effects.”

“I f-fucking _hate_ magic!” Sera hollered, leaning on her bow to steady herself. “Damn it all, why did you _both_ try to counter it?! The whole lot of us may have been c-cursed!”

Evelyn knew this was very likely, and knowing she was a catalyst for it filled her with dread. “L-Let’s get back to camp,” she said, trying to steady her voice. “We’ll sleep it off and then go back to Skyhold. With any luck the effects of the spell will wear off by morning.”

The effects, however, did _not_ wear off and all four of them were still violently ill the following morning. None of them even had the energy to stand because the pain was so intense. The scouts were in a panic and quickly packed up camp. Since none of the four could move they were laid out in a wagon and the scouts quickly guided the horses back to Skyhold. They barely stopped along the way so their travel time was fairly quickly.

Within three days thankfully, the pain slowly ebbed away. Evelyn was relieved, because it seemed to indicate that the worst of the spell was over. However, even with the pain gone her body started to fill stifling hot. And the closer they got to Skyhold, a strange discomfort began to grow in her body.

By the time they reached Skyhold the four of them were well enough to walk, but Evelyn noticed that while all of them were still sweating profusely, they were all flushed now instead of pale. Evelyn also noticed as she walked to her room that _walking_ was starting to feel uncomfortable. With each step and each shift of her thighs she felt slight static in her lower body. It was mortifying and she quickly hurried to her room. Her maid was kind enough to have a bath ready for her, and she hoped that it would help clear her symptoms.

Unfortunately, after getting out of the bath her symptoms only felt _worse_. Her body was hotter and her skin was sensitive. As she buttoned up her shirt with trembling fingers she could see and _feel_ that her nipples were fully erect. She was glad that her dark blue shirt covered them up considerably, but she was horrified by the heat she was feeling in her groin. When she pulled her pants on she felt an unexpected but delicious jolt made her involuntarily gasp. Evelyn shook her head furiously and collapsed onto her bed. She dug her fingers into the covers and tried to even out her breathing, but the sound was heated and ragged. She squeezed her eyes shut. _What is wrong with me?_

There was sharp knock on her bedroom open, and she heard it open. “Evie?” Dorian called out. She could hear a tremor in his voice.

“Y-Yes, I’m here!” she called back to him.

She heard his footfalls on the stairs and he rounded the banister. Evelyn saw that he had to lean against it slightly as though to steady himself. “So…you’re still feeling these effects too?”

“W-What on earth happened?” Evelyn said, sitting up. “I threw my Mark of the Rift spell at him. What spell did you throw?”

“Walking Bomb,” Dorian responded. He was breathing heavily. “So that’s two out of three spells we know, but we don’t know what spell the Hakkonite conjured up for us. I tried to do some research on the matter, but…” He shifted his weight onto either feet. “I’m having difficulty concentrating in my current state.”

“Solas might know,” Evelyn said. She rose from the bed but grabbed the bedpost to steady herself. “W-We should go see him immediately!”

“I already did,” Dorian said. He walked over to help steady her. “Sera and Cass are already there. I’m here to retrieve you.”

“M-My condition is worsening! I can’t let anyone see me like this!”

“My apologies, but the other two refused to come out of the tower for the exact same reason. We have no choice but to transverse the great hall to see Solas.”

Evelyn sighed heavily, but leaned on Dorian for support. “I wish I knew how to teleport.”

Dorian laughed shortly. “If _I_ knew how to teleport, I could’ve saved myself so much trouble long ago…”

* * *

 

Traversing the main hall was a chore. Everyone wanted to talk to Evelyn and were practically pressing themselves towards her. She saw Varric, who looked highly amused by the situation. She wondered if he knew what was going on with their group, but she also knew that most things amused Varric greatly.

_Maybe he saw Cassandra in the same shape Dorian and I are in?_

Cassandra and Sera were indeed in no better shape than Evelyn or Dorian. None of them really had the energy to stand, so they simply sat in a row on the floor in front of Solas’s desk, while the apostate mage listened carefully to what happened to them.

“This is very intriguing,” Solas said. “With the amount of power from the spells you both conjured up—” he gestured to both Evelyn and Dorian. “That should’ve simply cancelled out the Hakkonite mage’s spell. Instead, all three spells transmutated into something else. The symptoms the four of you had indicated to me have all the markings of a curse, so this indicates to me that the Hakkonite was trying to invoke a rather powerful curse on all of you.”

“L-Like a death curse?” Evelyn asked softly.

“That I don’t know. I have very little knowledge about Hakkonite magic, but it looks like the combination of that curse—in conjunction with your rift spell and _your_ necromancy spell—caused the four of you to be cursed.” He paused before continuing. “And it looks like your curse is for all of you to be stuck in a constant state of sexual arousal.”

Evelyn turned crimson at his blunt words and Cassandra shouted in outrage. “This is unbelievable! How does necromancy, rift magic, and a Hakkonite spell mutate into such a deplorable curse?!”

Solas shrugged. “Like I said, I know nothing of Hakkonite magic so there could be any number of reasons.”

“B-But we weren’t always like this!” Sera shrieked, punching the floor for emphasis. “Before we were in so much pain that we thought we were going to die!”

“Like I said Sera, I can’t explain why the effects of your spell switched from constant pain to sexual arousal,” Solas said. He showed absolutely no embarrassment over this topic. “In order to figure out what caused this, and to find a possible counter curse, I will need to do some research.”

Evelyn swallowed thickly and forced her voice steady. “H…How long will it take you to find a counter curse?”

Solas shrugged. “Because I’m unfamiliar with this topic, my research could take anywhere from five to six hours—”

“Five to six HOURS?!” Dorian hollered. He wobbled as he stood up. “And what are we supposed to do until then?!”

“Endure, I suppose,” Solas responded. “Or you could relieve the effects of the spell yourselves.”

“R-Relieve the effects of the spell?!” Cassandra sputtered.

“I can’t say for certain, but I imagine you’ll break your curses much faster if you…take care of the spell yourself,” Solas said. “Or find a suitable partner to relieve the spell for you. In any event it will help keep the four of you preoccupied while I research.”

Evelyn gaped at him in shock. So…Solas was telling all of them to go and _have sex_ in order to break the spell faster?! But even that might not work?!

“I…refuse to accept this!” Cassandra thundered, struggling to her feet. “I’m going to get a second opinion! I will have a word with Vivienne about this!” she angrily limped off towards the stairs.

Solas didn’t look insulted by her statement. “Well if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do.” He settled himself in his chair, getting nice and comfortable, and closed his eyes.

“Wait, you’re going to _sleep_?!” Sera shouted. She used his desk as leverage to stand up. “I thought you were going to research!”

“I _am_ going to research,” Solas said, his eyes still closed. “I’m going into the Fade to speak with spirits about this matter. With any luck I will find some Hakkonite spirits who can tell me what sort of spell the Hakkonite conjured up so I can find a counter curse for you all.”

“Stupid fucking piss-balls magic!” Sera snapped, punching his desk. “I’m not going to sit around here for six hours looking at your ugly mug! I’m leaving!” she continued to grumble about mages as she slammed out of the door leading towards Cullen’s tower.

“Well, I’m not going back to my library and I’m not going back through the main hall,” Dorian said, slowly standing up. He looked like he was in pain. “I’m going back to my room to try and sleep this off.”

“I…think I’ll go back to my room to sleep it off too,” Evelyn said, also standing up.

“Really?” Dorian asked her. He gestured to the door. “Your handsome Templar is just this way. Why don’t you pay him a visit?”

Evelyn turned even darker at this question and furiously shook his head. “N-No, I can’t let him see me like this!”

Dorian snorted at her statement. “Don’t tell me you two haven’t—”

“ _Dorian_ ,” Evelyn hissed, glaring at him.

“All right, all right.” He raised his hands slightly and backed up towards the same door Sera went through. “Well, I’m going to try and sneak off to my room. I’ll see you both later.”

Now left alone in the tower with Solas, Evelyn sighed heavily and looked upwards. That was a mistake as she saw multiple faces all the way up the tower leaning over the rails staring down at her. She even saw _Leliana_ staring down at her!

_Oh Maker, they heard **everything**!_

“I-I’m going to go,” she said, looking towards Solas. She paused before adding. “Thank you for helping us with this.”

Solas opened his eyes briefly and smiled slightly. “You’re welcome, my friend.”

Evelyn nodded and limped towards the door leading into the main hall. She just had to survive passing by all the people who loitered in there before she could go and hide in her room.

_Please let the next few hours pass by quickly!_


	2. Sera and Dagna

To say that Sera was angry was a bit of an understatement. She was ready to commit outright _murder_.

Maybe, just a little bit, she was being unfair to both Dorian and the Inquisitor. After all they couldn’t have anticipated that their accidentally combined spell would wreak havoc like this. And she knew that they were suffering too, being stuck _in heat_ like this.

But it was their fucking magic that caused this shit, so she didn’t care if she was being mean to them.

Muttering various curse words under her breath, she stomped angrily towards Cullen’s tower. She wanted to encounter as _few_ people as possible before she got to her room, but walking was very uncomfortable. She was at a point where she was walking with her legs spread out wide because if her thighs were too close together they started stimulating her already very sensitive clit, and as shameless as she was the last thing she needed was to lose control of herself right out here in the open. Her body felt ungodly hot and she was sweating and she needed _relief_ desperately.

_I have to hurry. I have to hurry…_

“Sera!”

As she crossed the threshold of Cullen’s tower, the man in question straightened up into a standing position and glared at her furiously. “We need to talk,” he barked authoritatively, storming around the desk to advance on her. “I know it was you who messed with my desk—”

“Can you just bugger off, General Uptight?!” Sera barked at him, quickly sidestepping towards the right door. She saw his face go purple with rage and quickly added, “Her Gracious Ladybits summoned you.”

Cullen paused, and briefly looked confused. “Her Gracious—what?!” he suddenly looked angry again. “You had better not be referring to the Inquisitor in such a way!”

“S-So what if I am?” she picked up the pace when he started advancing on her again. “All right, all right! The Inquisitor summoned you! She said it was an emergency, and that she had to see you right now!”

Cullen paused again, and he suddenly looked concerned. “She…She summoned me?”

“To her bed—room,” Sera said, winking slightly. “It’s _very_ important.”

“R-Right,” Cullen said. Seeming to forget about his anger he hurried to his desk. “I-I haven’t presented my reports yet…she must want to see them!”

Sera couldn’t help but cackle maniacally as she hurried from the room. _There. Consider that my apology, Inquisitor._

But it was still incredibly difficult making her way to the Herald’s Rest, and despite being less populated the barracks still had soldiers loitering on them. Many of them glanced at Sera in confusion but she only glared back. She had no interest in some smelly _male_ to make her feel better.

Just ahead she saw the door to the Iron Bull’s room, but she hesitated as she approached the door. Because of her penchant for getting into mischief, she used to time her escapes whenever Bull was in bed with someone and cross through his room while they were in the middle of sex. Which happened quite a lot. Bull had never seemed to mind, only calling after her to close the door behind her while his bedfellow (whether it be a man or woman) cried out in horror and anger. Nobody ever seemed inclined to finish chasing after her when she did that.

This of course ended most recently, when she tried to use his room as an escape and found the Bull entangled with _Dorian_ of all people. And instead of just waving at her or his usual, “Close the door behind you”, Bull instead got _very_ angry with her and started shouting at her to get out. Seeing Dorian all tied up and bent over, and seeing Bull suddenly be protective of his bedfellow’s privacy, had been so damned funny that Sera couldn’t stop laughing about it for days.

 _It must be pretty serious._ She snorted again at the funny memory.

She approached the door however, but saw movement on the stairwell to her right. She recognized Dorian, who was sitting down and leaning his forehead against the stone wall, his breathing heavy and ragged. It appeared that he’d reached his limits, and wouldn’t make it to his room.

This meant that Sera had to hurry, because Bull would undoubtedly find him shortly and then drag him to his room. So she began running, even if this just stimulated her even more, and quickly crossed through Bull room. She entered the Herald’s Rest and saw that Cole was missing, but that just made her more relieved. The last thing she needed was to have that _thing_ approach her and speak to her cryptically in her current state. But the running was making her knees weak, and her arousal was rising to such a degree that it was causing her pain. She whimpered as she flew down the stairs, ignoring the patrons who said hello and even Sutherland’s shout of greeting to her. Her body was aching so _badly_ that she thought she would go insane. _I’m almost there. I’m almost—_

“There you are!”

It was probably the only thing that would stop Sera. She skidded to a halt at the threshold of her room and gaped. Dagna was sitting on the cushions of the wraparound window seat of her cluttered room. The dwarf was positively grinning, and it looked like she was holding a stack of paper. “I was looking for you!” Dagna greeted her, standing up. She didn’t seem to notice Sera’s physical distress. “I’ve got those blueprints I was telling you about!”

Sera slammed the door shut behind her, and she heard the muted shouts of shock from the patrons of the tavern. Dagna however didn’t even flinch. “Here, I’ll show you! When it’s fired like so, it lets out this loud explosion! The blast is supposed to turn purple, and all these sparks fly through the air! I still have to pitch it to the Inq—mmph!” Dagna cried out in surprise when Sera grabbed her roughly and began kissing her. Oh—this felt nice. The usual warmth that filled her body whenever she kissed Dagna was amplified a hundred times over, heightening her arousal. She quickly began rubbing herself against Dagna’s body, groaning throatily. Dagna returned the kiss eagerly, but it was easy to tell by her demeanor that she was surprised. When Sera broke the kiss, they were both gasping for air. “It’s nice to see you to—ooo!” she yelped when Sera shoved her down onto the seat.

Breathing ragged, Sera didn’t waste time stripping off her clothes. She’d been sweating so much that her clothes were soaked, and the air felt chilly on sweat-glistened naked skin. Dagna sat up slightly and watched her undress, and her eyes went wide when she saw how aroused Sera’s body was. “U-Um. Is this your way of telling me to bring you more news about explosions?”

“I’ve been cursed,” Sera rasped. She climbed on top of Dagna and began pulling at her clothes. She didn’t care if anyone in the courtyard could see her naked through the uncovered windows, or might be able to hear their activities through the open window. Her blood felt like fire in her body, heat radiating from her groin, and she needed relief desperately. She knew if she waited until Solas found the counter curse she would go insane. No… _this_ seemed to be much easier to do.

“Cursed?” Dagna asked excitedly. Her bare skin touched Sera’s and she squealed in surprise. “Your body feels like it’s on fire! This is magic, isn’t it?”

“What else?!” Sera snapped. She bent down to quickly kiss Dagna again. “Stupid—fucking—magic!” she ground out between kisses. “I-It must have been a death curse, but the Inquisitor and Dorian made it worse!” she dropped her hand between Dagna’s legs and her fingers began rubbing her quickly. “I fucking hate magic!” she arched her head back and groaned as Dagna sucked at her neck and groped one of her breasts.

“It’s incredible,” Dagna breathed, licking the stripe of muscle along Sera’s neck. Sera twitched and moaned and hovered over her body. “I think I can taste the magic in your sweat. I can’t believe a magical curse can do this to a person’s body!” she sounded positively delighted and this would’ve irritated Sera, but then she bent her head down and sucked one of Sera’s nipples into her mouth, and the anger leaked out of Sera.

It was too much. Groaning in anguish, Sera began rubbing at her own clit. She’d never felt so wet in her life and her knees trembled wildly. She was afraid she would fall on top of Dagna but Dagna didn’t seem to mind. She continued to rhythmically sucked at her breast, tongue rolling the sensitive nipple in her mouth while her hand squeezed and fondled her other breast. “Shit… _shit_!” it almost sounded like a sob as her legs trembled and her essence leaked down her thighs as she finally came. She thought that would be the end of it, but her body wasn’t relaxing. It was still hot, and her clit was still aching, pleading for more. She felt Dagna’s fingers join hers and she dropped her own hand away and began thrusting wildly against Dagna’s hand. She wanted to coax Dagna along, to not leave her hanging, but she couldn’t think past her own need to find release.

Luckily Dagna understood, and lowered her other hand to squeeze Sera’s ass and to encourage her movements. “Just like this?” Dagna said, and she squeezed her index and middle finger tight around her clit. Sera cried out, pressing her face into Dagna’s neck as another wave hit her hard. She was trembling so hard that Dagna’s hand slid up to stroke her back comfortingly. “If you weren’t cursed, I’d be flattered by your reactions,” she joked softly.

Sera sat up, her body still flushed with arousal. “Get up,” she hissed, pulling Dagna into a sitting position. Ignoring the persistent ache in her body she dropped down to her knees and spread Dagna’s legs. “It’s okay,” Dagna tried to reassure her. “You’re the one with the cur—” she gasped as Sera pressed her mouth between her legs and began sucking and licking. She arched her head back and moaned, hands gripping at the cushions as Sera kissed at the folds of flesh, pushing up with her fingers to expose her clit and sucking it into her mouth. Dagna’s breaths came out short and harsh, her moans turning into little whines as Sera teased her opening with two fingers before sliding them inside and fucking her wildly.

But…but Sera couldn’t forget her own situation, and she had to spread her legs wide on the floor to alleviate the pressure. But it was still too push and she groaning in anguish even as she tried to focus on bringing Dagna pleasure.

Dagna groaned, and with great difficulty reached down and shoved at Sera’s shoulders. “Sera…Sera, please! That’s e-enough!” Sera stopped her motions and rested her head against Dagna’s thigh. Guilt didn’t come easily to her, but her current state was making her highly emotional and she felt like crying. She could feel how aroused Dagna was—and it was a natural arousal, not a cursed one—and she’d been so _close_. But even so she was putting Sera’s needs first, even if she was fascinated by Sera’s curse.

“Hey,” Dagna said, stroking her hair. “It’s okay. Just lie on the floor, okay?” she handed her a pillow.

Sera complied, tucking the pillow under her head. She watched as Dagna moved over her and spread her legs. A surge of delight filled her when Dagna settled down on top of her, bracing her hands on the floor, and began moving. The friction of their groins rubbing together was wonderful—the fire in her body was fierce but the static of her motions felt so _nice_. Sera groaned, arching her head back and cradling Dagna’s hips as she began to move faster, pressing down harder on her.

With the first hard thrust Sera came again, but it still hadn’t ebbed off. She quickly sat up and kissed Dagna and began mimicking her movements. Dagna arched her head back and moaned as Sera kissed and sucked at her chest and her movements became more erratic. Sera jolted and shivered as her release twice more in fierce succession, and the fire inside her began ebbing off little but she could still feel the delicious heat that made her toes curl.

Dagna let out a long moan and scratched her fingernails up Sera’s back. The sting of pain seemed to help Sera reawaken her other senses and she ground against her. Their movements quickened and their voices raised even higher until Dagna cried out and slammed herself against Sera’s body, her long overdue orgasm shaking her to the core. The auburn strands of her face sticking to her lust-filled face turned Sera on even more and she squeezed Dagna’s hips tight as she found her release once more.

Sera was drained; she suddenly became boneless and lifeless. She flopped backwards against the floor and despite the pillow she still saw stars when her head hit the floor. She felt the heat leave her body and she was suddenly _freezing_. Her teeth started chattering and she closed her eyes. Dagna still lay on top of her, trying to catch her breath, but Sera didn’t mind. She more than welcomed the other girl’s body heat pressed against her.

After a moment Dagna moved off her body and curled at Sera’s side, snuggling up to her. “Your skin feels like ice,” she breathed, rubbing her hand up and down Sera’s arm. “Do you have any blankets?”

Sera snorted and closed her eyes, pulling Dagna close. “I don’t usually steal blankets.”

Dagna laughed against her shoulder. “That was… _wow_. Magic really is amazing, isn’t it?”

Sera groaned and turned her head away. “Don’t kill the mood, Widdle.”

“But it looks like the worst is over,” Dagna said, leaning up onto one arm. “As an Arcanist I’m proud to have helped break a curse.”

“It had _better_ be broken,” Sera said, but coughed from talking against a dry throat. “I wouldn’t wish this upon anyone. Except maybe Coryphenus because who’d want to touch _his_ dangly bits?”

“That could totally be your secret weapon against him!” Dagna gushed. “I could put it in a jar like those bees and you can just throw it at him!”

Sera stared at her for a long moment before they both burst out laughing.

* * *

 

Cassandra was gripping the back of the chair so tightly that the expensive wood was surely going to snap in two in her fists. “…Excuse me?” she growled.

“Like I told you darling, there’s nothing I can do,” Vivienne said casually, relaxing on her settee and reading a book. “Breaking curses is not my area of expertise, and there was not one book in my Circle’s library about Hakkonite magic so I wouldn’t know where to begin. While I’m appalled that both Dorian _and_ the Inquisitor recklessly used magic in such a way—and while it _pains_ me to say this—but I think you should follow the advice of the elven apostate and just relieve the curse yourself.” She glanced up briefly. “Given the circumstances, I don’t believe you should be embarrassed about taking someone to bed with you. I’m sure they would understand your predicament.”

Cassandra hissed at her, and shoved Vivienne’s chair to the floor. Vivienne didn’t even flinch. “I…I’m going to see the Grand Enchanter about this!” she stomped back down the stairs and out of sight.

“Whatever you wish, darling, ” Vivienne said calmly, going back to her book.


	3. Dorian and Iron Bull

Dorian felt as though he were being smothered by a thick, warm blanket. It were as though his pores were hemorrhaging sweat, and it was making him very dehydrated. But as far as he was concerned, all of that pale in comparison to the extreme discomfort between his legs. He couldn’t remember the last time he had such a painful erection—maybe when he a teenager or something. But it was almost impossible to walk around with it and he was inwardly amazed at how he’d mmanaged to remain nonchalant in Evelyn’s presence. He remembered Alexius and briefly toyed with the idea of visiting his former mentor about this, but he quickly shook off the idea. There was no blighted way he would allow Alexius to see him in such a state. He would sooner allow his _own father_ to see him like this!

_Well…I didn’t tell Evie I **tried** to take care of this myself before seeing her, and I only made things worse. But I’m not going to last for six hours while Solas researches in the Fade. I’m quite afraid my body will just give up and shut down completely before he wakes up. _

Dorian leaned against the stone rail to steady himself. His eyes drifted towards the Herald’s Rest and he groaned in anguish. No, he hadn’t succeeded in trying to break this blasted curse himself, which meant that if he wanted to end this madness he would most likely have to seek out a _certain someone_ to help him. And while admittedly he was becoming more and more comfortable—and open even—to having a quasi-relationship with Iron Bull, he also knew that the Herald’s Rest would be packed with people at this time of day. And there was no Blighted way he was going to walk through the tavern to get to Bull in his current state. He would never live it down.

And there was _certainly_ no way he was going to parade around Cullen or the other soldiers in his current state. Sighing heavily he swung his legs over the rail and quickly jumped off, landing on the moss-covered platform below. It’d been such a short fall, but his knees gave way and he fell onto his side. He lay there for few moments, not caring that the moss was sticking to his skin and his clothes, and took momentary comfort in the sensation of the icy stone against his fire-hot skin.

But it was only a temporary relief and he forced himself to sit up. _Well, let’s get this over with._ He brushed himself off as best as he could and hopped off the platform and landed on the stone steps below.

“Ah!” Blackwall shouted in shock when Dorian landed in front of him. He had a block of wood in one hand, and a whittling knife in the other. “Can you _not_ pop out of nowhere like that, ‘Vint?!”

Oh, he was _not_ in the mood for Blackwall’s bullshit today. But rather than snap at the fake Gray Warden, Dorian forced a pain-filled smile at him. “My apologies.”

“Hey,” Blackwall said, his tone suddenly shifting to concern. “Did you get sick in the Frostback Basin, too? Sera mentioned something about a curse—”

“No, nothing is wrong, I’ll be on my way now,” Dorian said in one quick breath and ran up the stairs towards the top courtyard. Or he would’ve _liked_ to have run up the stairs; because of his current predicament it looked more like he was skipping awkwardly.

He saw the Herald’s Rest as he rounded the staircase, but his quickly filled with dread as he saw the patrons piling _into_ the tavern. “Cabot’s announced a drinking contest!” a soldier shouted. “The Iron Bull’s offering to do a job for the winner for free if they can outdrink him!”

Well…there went Dorian’s grand plan. But it meant that the people in the courtyard weren’t paying him _any_ attention. He limped past the Herald’s Rest, nodding pitifully at Scout Harding, and made his way towards the stairs. He had a sudden feeling of dèjà vu, but he shook it off as he tried to climb up them. He only made it up three steps before his knees turned to jelly once more and he fell down hard on the steps. He tried to stand back up but he didn’t have the strength.

 _Great. Now what am I supposed to do?_ Dorian clung to the stone wall and pressed his forehead against it. His breathing was ragged and he knew he looked pitiful but he didn’t have the strength to move. _Oh Maker, I swear if You get me out of this I won’t ever use flashy magic again. Well…I won’t use it so often, but I can’t go on like this!_

“Hot. My skin feels like its melting and my blood feels like liquid fire. I would do anything for this to stop. Anything.”

No, no, no, no, no. The absolute _last_ person Dorian wanted to see at this moment while he was cursed to be stuck in a constant state of sexual arousal was the weird gangly boy who always dissected his mind. He opened his eyes and glared at Cole. “…Something you need?” he sneered.

“Your pain called out to me,” Cole said bluntly, staring down at him with his usual wide eyes. “Your pain is tangled up like it always is, but this time it feels different. You like the pain because you think it’s a part of you, but it shames you because the pain also makes you feel good. But this pain doesn’t make you feel good. It makes you want to die. Why do you want to die, Dorian?”

“Cole, _enough_!” Dorian shouted in a hoarse voice. “If you truly want to help, then help me end this fucking curse!” he hadn’t meant to cuss at Cole, but his body was aching with sheer frustration that he was starting to lose his grip on things.

Cole stared at him in silence for a long moment. Then he turned on his heel and quickly walked away.

“Cole, wait!” Dorian called after him feebly. “I’m sorry I yelled! I…” he closed his eyes and leaned his body against the wall once more. _If only I could think straight! I could use my superior intellect to end this but I can’t! I can’t even move, and the only thing I want to do is…but I can’t do that! Not in public! And I’d already tried it, but it didn’t work! I…_

“Dorian?”

Dorian’s eyes snapped open and he looked to his right. A sudden surge of relief flooded through him when he saw The Iron Bull leaning over the rail looking at him. He swallowed thickly and let out a short gasp before speaking. “A…Aren’t you in some sort of drinking contest?”

“I was,” Iron Bull answered nonchalantly. “But Cole came in and told me you were in trouble so I forfeited. I’m glad I did because I can see that you _are_ in trouble, Dorian.” He came around the rail and knelt down in front of him. “You look like you came down with something. Are you all right?” he cupped Dorian’s chin and tilted his head up.

It was a slight touch, but feeling Bull’s fingers on his skin felt so _good_. The curse amplified Dorian’s nerve-endings, making him incredibly sensitive. He groaned throatily and closed his eyes, wanting that hand to drop down a little lower. He no longer cared that he was in public. He needed relief and he needed it _now_.

Bully abruptly let him go, and Dorian cried out when his large arm grabbed him around the middle and hoisted him up. He remained tucked under Bull’s arm as the Qunari quickly ascended the stairs, and Dorian sputtered indignantly at being manhandled like this this. “Put me down you beast! Put…” his voice broke off with a low groan as his body quickly reacted to being pressed against Bull’s body.

Bull quickly entered his bedroom and set Dorian down on his feet. Dorian’s knees however were still weak and he would’ve collapsed had Bull not grabbed his wrist and pinned his arms high above his head against the door. Bull kissed his mouth briefly, and Dorian groaned at the contact, but Bull quickly pulled away. Dorian looked at him in confusion, and was startled by the fury he saw in the Tal-Vashoth’s face.

“Your body is out of control,” he rumbled. He looked down and reached down with his free hand into Dorian’s pants. It almost reminded Dorian of his own attempts to relieve himself earlier, but unlike before the moment the Bull’s rough hand surrounded his penis bright flashes filled Dorian’s vision and he cried out as he came hard into his hand and into his pants. Little jolts shook his legs and his hips jerked forward, wanting more.

But the Bull looked anything but amused by his sudden ejaculation. “This isn’t normal.” He licked at the spent on his fingers and Dorian turned crimson. “You taste different, even. Who did this to you, kadan?”

Dorian’s mouth hung open as he gaped in shock at Bull. “H…How did you—”

“ _Kadan_ ,” Iron Bull said more forcefully, looking at him closely. “This is either the work of magic or a drug. Somebody deliberately did this to you, and I want to know who it was.”

Dorian snorted shortly. “I would almost think you’d be happy to see me like this.”

“ _Why_ would I be happy to see you like this?” Bull sneered. “As if I need magic or a drug to make you feel good! Somebody did this to you, and I’m going to make them _pay_.”

“I-It was a Hakkonite mage,” Dorian quickly sputtered. “We killed him but he threw a curse at us. E-Evie and I threw counter spells at the curse, but the spell transmutated. As a result we…” he looked away. “Well, you can see for yourself.”

“Wait you cursed _yourself_?!” Bull asked incredulously. “Why would you do that? Or what it an accident?”

“Yes, I made the conscious decision to curse myself to have an erection that will never go away,” Dorian snapped sarcastically. “Of course it was an accident! Solas is working out a counter curse but he said that it would take hours! I—”

“You’re not going to last hours,” Bull said, looking him over. “At this rate you’re going to go insane or die from dehydration. We need to take care of this now.”

“Great, then we’re in agree—GAH!” Dorian shouted as Bull suddenly hoisted him up. He was tossed onto the large bed, and the covers felt very strange against his overly sensitive skin. Bull wasted no time stripping him of his clothes, and Dorian was shocked to find relief at being naked. Before he could say anything more Bull wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him to the edge of the bed. Being manhandled in such a way was a surprising turn-on, but Dorian nearly jumped out of his skin when the Bull bent over him and sucked his aching cock into his mouth.

Bull’s mouth only squeezed him twice and suddenly his body was jerking and sharp flashes of pleasure burned through him. Dorian shouted and convulsed, and luckily Bull wasn’t startled by his abrupt orgasm. His mouth didn’t even waver and his head bobbed up and down over his erection. It felt so good that it was causing him pain, pain beyond what he was comfortable with. Dorian grabbed his horns and tried to get his voice to work. “K—AH!” Bull’s tongue licked the underside of his cock, and the slight gesture sent over the edge once again. But he was still rock-hard and Bull didn’t pause in his motions. But the sensations weren’t ebbing off at all. “K-Katoh!” Dorian finally managed, trying to catch his breath.

Bull immediately stopped and climbed up his body to look into his face. “Are you all right?”

It was difficult to explain, and Dorian was humiliated to use the words. “It…It hurts. And not in a good way.”

Bull nodded his understanding. “Then let’s skip the foreplay.” He quickly undressed himself and flipped Dorian over onto his stomach. Dorian raised up onto unsteady knees, resting his forehead on his folded arms. His body twitched when he felt the familiar rubbing pressure on his entrance, but he knew from prior experience that this wasn’t Bull’s cock. “I-I thought we were skipping foreplay,” he mumbled.

“We are, but if we’re not careful I’ll hurt you,” Bull said. Dorian was so aroused that he was able to sink two slicked fingers in effortlessly. “Just relax and bear with me. We’ll get to the good part soon.” He braced his free hand on the small of Dorian’s back and twisted his fingers inside his body. Then he began pumping them quickly. Dorian groaned harshly and spread himself, angling himself in just the right way for those fingers to find their purchase. But the first brush of the tips against his prostate caused another jolt inside him and he came hard, spilling himself onto the sheets.

“Shit!” Dorian gasped, seeing the mess he made. “I’m sor—” he groaned abruptly as Bull pressed those fingers deep inside him again.

“It’s fine, nothing that can’t be washed out.” Bull licked at the small of his back and pressed a kiss there. “Just relax and let me take care of you, kadan. Don’t think about anything else.”

It was impossible to think about anything else. The heat was starting to wane inside his body, but he still felt so hot and his arousal hadn’t waned any. “Please,” he whimpered against his arm. Thankfully, he didn’t need to ask twice. Bull withdrew his hand and greased himself up.

“Don’t hold back. Don’t restrain your voice.” Even now, with the promise of being taken care of, the Bull still exerted his dominance over him in bed. But Dorian didn’t care. While Bull used one hand to help guide himself, his other hand braced itself on the bed. Dorian reached out to grab it, and he was inwardly touched when Bull immediately linked his fingers with his.

“As…flattering as it is to see you cum so many times,” Bull said breathlessly, slowly easing his way in. “I much prefer getting you off without the help of a curse.”

Dorian agreed, but the prickly sensations from where their bodies joined silenced his words. The only thing that came out was a long, very loud moan. Their sex was always good, but the curse continued to amplify every sensation and he groaned harshly when the feeling of being penetrated caused him to orgasm again. It was becoming almost tedious, but to his relief he was starting to feel a measure of the chill in the room. _I…I think this is working. I guess Solas was right after all._

Gripping Bull’s hand in his own, Dorian closed his eyes and did as the Bull commanded. When Bull began snapping his hips, fucking him thoroughly and quickly, he was unable to restrain his voice. It was easy to give in when it felt so _good_ —the fullness of his cock, the sensitivity of his channel welcoming him in, the pressure against his prostate. It was carnal sex he’d never felt before, though amplified by an embarrassing curse. After a few moments of being pounded he realized he wasn’t cumming with every other thrust and a slight thrill filled his body. _Maker, it really is subsiding!_ But it was the last coherent thought he had before it descended into base need for more. _Yes, like that, right there, yes, yes, yes…_

Even the wet, smacking sounds was a natural turn-on. Dorian reached under him with his free hand to grab his cock, and allowed the jerks of his body to naturally thrust himself into his hand. “H…Harder,” he groaned.

“Like this?” Bull asked, and hunched over him to pound viciously into him. It was exactly what Dorian needed and he howled, arched his head back as he felt his orgasm build, squeezing his fist around his cock and his muscles around Bull. Bull groaned sharply at the feeling and gripped Dorian’s shoulder with his free hand. “Yes, keep it tight like that. Just like…that. _Fuck_ , Dorian, you’re amazing!”

Dorian shivered but he didn’t have the strength to shout as he came once again. He felt Bull twitch and jerk behind him and he heard the loud, rumbling groan the Qunari let out as he came inside his body.

It wasn’t over. Dorian knew this as he felt Bull pull out of his body. The pain of his curse had mostly faded, but he was still aroused. He didn’t have the strength to sit up however, so he was glad when Bull pulled him up and gave him a sizzling kiss. He was surprised by how much he _needed_ the kiss, but his body was still craving more.

Thankfully, Bull knew and he didn’t need to ask. The Qunari stretched himself on the bed, getting comfortable and propping his upper body against the headboard, and pulled Dorian on top of him. “Do you have the energy to ride me?”

Dorian blinked, and he found himself smiling wickedly. “I believe so.” He was already straddling Bull’s lap and he spread himself wider and Bull guided him down to sit on him. To his shock he effortlessly sank down to the root of his cock. He groaned and almost arched his head back, but he didn’t have the energy so he simply rested his head on Bull’s broad shoulder.

It wasn’t so much riding as it was Bull thrusting up into him and his body sinking into the thrust. Dorian had his arms wrapped around his shoulders and he was groaning into his ear. Now…now it was feeling less like that damned curse and more like natural sex, but it felt no less amazing. Bull was groaning throatily and cupping his hips, pulling him down into his groin as he fucked him. Dorian turned his head and sought out his mouth and they kissed deeply. Not once did the Bull pause in his motions.

“ _Kaffas_!” Dorian groaned, breaking the kiss as he felt the familiar build up in his groin. He’d cum so many times that the buildup stung slightly, but he desired release so badly that he didn’t care about the slight pain. “Please…make me cum, _please_!” he hissed, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Hmm,” the Bull grunted in response, and bent his head down to suck and nip at Dorian’s chest. One of his large hands reached up to pump Dorian’s cock, and it all he needed was just two strokes. Dorian shouted again, his voice going hoarse, and he thrust up against Bull’s torso as he spurted between their bodies. He hadn’t fully recovered when Bull held him still and gave a few hard thrusts up into him and groaned and shuddered as he came inside Dorian.

He started to rise off of Bull but suddenly found himself very dizzy and almost tumbled over. Luckily Bull caught him and held him steady. “I got you.” Bull pressed Dorian against his larger body and Dorian was stunned by how _hot_ his skin felt against his. “Shit, kadan, your body feels like ice! What happened to your body temperature?!”

Dorian really he _was_ freezing and curled against Bull’s warmer body. But it was enough to make him comfortable and his teeth started chattering. The Bull moved quickly, shoving the messy sheets off the bed and wrapping Dorian in the cleaner ones. “The curse must be over,” he surmised. He settled onto his back on the bed and pulled Dorian against his body.

Dorian didn’t respond immediately and snuggled against him as closely as he could. His body never agreed with the cold. “I…I must have exerted so much energy that my body is spent,” he said softly. His throat felt so dry and he cough against it.

“You sound pretty dehydrated, too,” Bull said. Dorian didn’t miss the concern in his voice. “Here, I’ll go get you some water.” He started to slide towards the edge of the bed, but Dorian squeezed his arms around him. “Water can wait. Warm me up first.”

“You’re so demanding.” But the Bull’s tone was teasing as he settled back down and wrapped his arms around Dorian. “I would say that was the best sex I’ve ever had, but as good as it felt it was hard to enjoy it knowing that _I_ wasn’t the one who was making you feel good.”

“You did a sufficient job,” Dorian mumbled against his chest. He paused before saying, “Thank you for taking care of me.”

“Anytime, kadan. But I hope you realize what this means.”

“Hmm?” Dorian looked up towards his voice. “What what means?”

“Once you recover, we’re going to have even wilder sex,” Bull told him bluntly. He grinned at him. “Just to show you that my skills are better than any curse.”

“Y…You really are shameless!” Dorian sputtered indignantly.

“But you love me for it.”

Dorian flushed again, but instead of replying he simply grumbled to himself and snuggled closer. Bull didn’t seem to mind.

* * *

 

“I…I don’t understand you!” Cassandra gasped. She was leaning against the wall for support. “Grand Enchanter Fiona, y-you removed your Gray Warden taint! How can you stand there and tell me that you don’t know how to help me?!”

“I’m truly sorry, Seeker,” Fiona said, looking upon her with sympathy. “But I’ve never heard of this…curse that you have.” She gestured to Cassandra. “In addition, I did not simply remove my Gray Warden taint. I have no idea how it was removed from my body.”

“But—”

“The workings of this curse involve Hakkonite magic, Necromancy, and the Inquisitor’s Mark. My knowledge of all three of these is limited because I have little to no experience using magic in any of these fields. Since it _does_ involve magic from the Inquisitor’s mark, Alexius might be able to—”

“I will not speak with a Tevinter Magister about this disgusting curse!” Cassandra boomed out.

“Then I don’t know what else to tell you,” Fiona said sympathetically. “If Solas is seeking out a cure then you may have no other choice than to wait for him to wake up. Or you could—”

“If I hear one more person tell me to relieve this curse myself, I won’t be using my training dummies for practice!” Cassandra shouted, her voice echoing in the tower. She shook her head and pushed herself away from the wall. “I will…find another way.” She stormed off towards the stairs.

Helisma slowly approached Fiona. The Tranquil looked very confused. “Why does the Seeker insist on suffering like this? The most practical thing for her to do would be to accept any means to relieve the curse inflicted upon her.”

“Well, the most simplistic course of action would be to engage in sexual intercourse,” Fiona said softly. She turned back to the bookshelf. “I can understand her…reluctance in doing that just for the sake of ending a curse.”

“But her body is suffering,” Helisma pointed out. “This curse may kill her. She’s the only one of the four inflicted by this curse that seems to be looking for an alternative means to end it. Is stubbornly holding out really worth risking death?”

“For her, perhaps. Hopefully for her sake Solas finds a cure soon.”


	4. Evelyn and Cullen

“Is five reports too many?” Cullen wondered out loud, surveying the pile on the messy desk. “I don’t want to overload her. But I don’t want her to think I’m not working hard enough…” He thought about it for a second before nodding. “Two. I’ll present two reports.” He took two files off his desk and turned to head towards the door. He took three steps, hesitated, and returned to the desk to grab another report. “Three it is.”

He left his tower and crossed the bridge towards the main building of Skyhold. From his vantage point he saw a rather large crowd gathering in the upper courtyard and he scoffed. _There’s so much that needs to be done and people are just loitering about!_

Cullen was surprised to see Solas fast asleep in his chair, and he could’ve sworn that the chatter in the tower above abruptly silenced. He spared a glance up and saw several bodies abruptly turn away from the rail and go about their business. Except…was that Leliana at the top of the tower? The Spymaster herself was unflinchingly staring down at him and he waved at her awkwardly. She gave him a cheery wave back, but he couldn’t see her expression. He shook his head and headed towards the main hall.

Varric had his feet kicked up on the table in front of the fireplace and he was humming what sounded like _“Sera was Never”_ as he played a card game by himself. Cullen almost greeted him when he was startled by a gaggle of the usual Orlesian nobles hurrying past him towards the courtyard. Curious against his will, Cullen followed them and head towards the main doors. He arched an eyebrow when he saw the sheer numbers of people gathered outside, but he bristled slightly when he saw Blackwall sitting on the bottom steps. The Gray Warden imposter was casually whittling and he seemed to chuckle to himself. Cullen looked up and started slightly when a loud moan of pleasure suddenly echoed across the courtyard. Several people in the courtyard cheered, and some of the men were pointing up towards the second floor windows of the Herald’s Rest.

An even louder moan hit the air from the top of the far tower, and some people burst into laughter. Cullen turned dark crimson as realization dawned on him. _They…everyone’s eavesdropping on—Maker’s Breath, what is **wrong** with these people?!_

Shaking his head furiously he stomped towards the direction of the Inquisitor’s room. “Be gentle, Curly!” Varric shouted loudly behind him, causing the few Orlesian nobles who were still loitering in the great hall to burst into laughter. Cullen snarled and glared murderously at Varric, who didn’t even flinch. “Andraste have mercy,” he grumbled, and continued stomping towards the Inquisitor’s room. On route he passed former Grand Duchess Florianne in her jester costume. “Yes, look on and laugh,” she snapped at him. It was impossible to take her seriously when she looked so ridiculous.

Cullen entered the entrance hall to Evelyn’s room and he quickly looked himself over. He checked his hair and pulled at his collar slightly. _She asked to see me in her bedroom. Sera said it was an emergency. Whatever the issue is, I will help her._ He nodded to himself and casually strolled up to the second door and knocked. “Inquisitor?”

* * *

 

Safely hidden behind the closed bed curtains of her Free Marches bed, Evelyn flinched when she heard the knock at her door and she heard Cullen call out to her. The sound of his voice felt like a caress over her hot skin and she groaned as she rolled onto her back. Her red hair was sticking to her nape and her cheeks from the sweat and she tried to control her breathing. Luckily she had brought a canteen of water into bed with her and drank from it deeply. She wanted to muster the energy to tell Cullen to go away, but it was harder than she thought to form the words.

The knock came again. “Inquisitor? Are you all right? I came as you asked.”

_Please stop talking!_ she pleaded silently before she froze as she heard the rest of his words. _Wait…I summoned him? When?!_

“Inquisitor?” Cullen’s tone had become very concerned and Evelyn flinched again when she heard her bedroom door open. “Evelyn, I’m coming in.”

Evelyn sighed softly as she heard his footsteps come up the stairs. She forced herself into a sitting position. _Well…I can’t avoid him anymore. This is so embarrassing…_

“Inquisitor, I—” Cullen obviously gave pause when he saw that Evelyn’s bed curtains were closed tight. “Evelyn, are you all right?”

Evelyn dragged herself to the edge of the bed and swung her legs over the side. There was slight tingle between her legs from the motion and she groaned quietly. She heard Cullen shift with confusion when he legs became visible beneath the curtain. Most likely because she wasn’t wearing any pants. Evelyn braced herself and reluctantly pushed aside the curtain.

Cullen gaped at her in shock. Other than her white undershirt she was dressed only in her underwear. Not to mention she had a _much_ disheveled appearance—messy hair, flushed skin, and heated breathing.

“Maker’s Breath Evelyn, you look terrible!” Cullen tossed the paperwork he’d been holding onto the couch and rushed towards her. “What happened to you?!” he reached for her with both hands.

“N-No!” Evelyn choked out, afraid of what her body might do if he touched her. She jerked away from his touch but she lost her balance and fell backwards onto her back. She covered her eyes with her wrists and tried to catch her breath.

“Evelyn, you don’t look well,” Cullen said with obvious concern. He leaned one hand against the bedpost. “Do…Do you want to talk about it?”

Evelyn frowned deeply and continued to hide behind her hands. _Oh Maker, my body aches so much!_

“Is this…” Cullen spoke softly. “Is this why you sent Sera to summon me?”

Evelyn’s eyes snapped open and she looked at him in shock. “ _Sera_ sent you here?!”

“S-She said it was an emergency,” Cullen stammered. He looked a little flustered. “So…you didn’t actually summon me at all?”

Oh, she was going to _kill_ Sera the next time she saw that elf! Evelyn groaned softly and back down, covering her eyes once more.

“Evelyn, I…” Cullen hesitated before continuing. “You know you can tell me anything. What happened to you?”

“I’ve been cursed,” Evelyn said with anguish, squeezing her eyes shut.

“ _Cursed_?!” Cullen boomed with absolute fury. He reached out and helped her into a sitting position. Unfortunately his touched did exactly what she feared and her body filled with pleasure. Not enough to climax, fortunately, but enough that she involuntarily leaned into the touch and groaned throatily with pleasure. She couldn’t even feel his bare skin because he was still in full armor, but his touch was driving her crazy. _I need to end this._

Cullen, however, was oblivious to the effects of her curse. “I’ll kill whoever did this to you, Evie,” he rasped. He cupped her cheek with his gloved hand and looked into her face. “Who did this to you? I’ll make that mage pay!”

“H-He’s dead,” Evelyn stammered. She pressed up against him. “Solas is trying to find a c-c-counter curse, but—” she groaned again and hid her face in the crook of his arm. “Help me, Cullen.”

“Of course I will,” Cullen reassured her. “I would do anything for you. What do I need to do?”

…Was he really this thick? They’d slept together before, and he didn’t realize that she was sexually aroused? But—But she couldn’t have been surprised, could she? After all he _was_ a formally sheltered Templar.

_I guess I need to be more direct._ Evelyn grabbed his collar and hoisted herself up, crushing her mouth against his. But oh Maker—even _kissing_ was a large turn-on. Oh, she needed relief and she needed it _fast_.

“E-Evelyn!” Cullen sputtered, gently pushing her away. “What are you doing?! We need to break your curse!”

“T…This is what we need to do,” Evelyn panted. She tugged at his clothes with trembling fingers. “T-The curse—it’s a transmutated spell. It’s made me…aroused.”

“A-A-A—” Cullen turned red all the way to his ears. “Y-You mean that you—at this very moment are—”

“Solas believes that I can break the curse by…having sex.” Good, she got his gloves off. The armor was a little more difficult. “I-I was too embarrassed to approach you before, but now it’s completely out of control. I need you to help me, Cullen.” Her tone had turned desperate and she could feel tears stinging her eyes as she looked at him. “Please, just make love to me. I can’t hold out anymore.”

“Evelyn, I—just wait!” Cullen grabbed her wrists to force her hands still. “I-I’m sorry I didn’t realize your condition sooner, but I can’t simply take you like this!”

Evelyn gaped at him in shock. “Why not?”

“Because I would be taking advantage of you!” Cullen argued. “You’re in a very vulnerable state where you cannot make sound decision! I-I can’t simply have sex with you like this because you don’t truly have the ability to refuse me! I—”

“ _Cullen_ ,” Evelyn ground out. “You’re not taking advantage of me. I give you full permission to do this. I wouldn’t ask this of you if I didn’t want you to be the one to do it.”

“But you hid your condition from me! That tells me that you do _not_ want to relieve this curse through sex! That tells me that you are not of sound mind at this moment, and—”

“Of _course_ I’m not of sound mind! My body is being ravaged by a curse! Just…” Evelyn cupped his cheeks. “It’s all right. You’re not taking advantage of me. I’m not going to hate you after this. Trust me when I tell you I will hate you more if you _don’t_ do this. But I’m at my limit, and I…” the tears were starting to leak out, joining the sweat on her cheeks, and she ducked her head. “Cullen, _please_.” It humiliated her to be _begging_ for sex like this and she felt a simmer of anger rise up at him, even though his mentality was noble.

Cullen seemed to finally understand and she felt him nod. “All right. I’ll take care of you.”

Evelyn didn’t bother hiding back the sigh of relief as he leaned off the bed. He quickly got undress without any finesse, but seeing his naked body only made her body hotter. She tried finishing undressing herself, but her fingers were shaking too badly. Cullen finished up and helped her undress, and he was visibly shocked by how aroused her body was. She had a full-body flush and both of her nipples were dark red and standing up. Her underwear was barely off when she was kissing him again. Her hands dropped down and quickly began stroking him. Thankfully it didn’t take long, and within moments he was fully erect and his hips were jerking against her hands.

“Take me now,” she mumbled against his mouth. Cullen groaned deeply in response and pulled her down onto his lap. A spike of excitement filled her in anticipation, but it didn’t prepare her for the sensations that shook her body as he cradled her hips and sank her down over his cock. Evelyn jolted and cried out, seeing stars as she orgasmed from the first penetration. Her thighs twitched around Cullen’s body and her eyes rolled back. It felt good, but it didn’t give her the relief she desired. All it did was cause her to crave more.

They began moving together. Cullen kept a steady pace but Evelyn was so far gone that she was rutting swiftly against him, grinding her hips and squeezing tight around him. She kissed and nipped at his lips, cupping his face between her hands as he held onto her hips, helping and encouraging to move harder and faster against him. One of her thrust rubbed her clit against his groin in just the right way and she gasped harshly, cumming involuntarily a second time.

“Your body is so hot,” Cullen mumbled against her mouth. Evelyn cried out when he suddenly launched forward and pinned her body to the bed. She gasped again when he withdrew from her body. “You need to cool off.” He reached out and grabbed the canteen that was beside them in bed.

“Don’t—” Evelyn pleaded softly, but then gasped and arched her body when Cullen poured the water over her breasts. The water itself was only slightly cool, but against her fire-hot skin it felt like heaven. Water was running down her torso and Cullen bent his head to suck up the water from her skin. He licked the droplets off her stomach, dipping his tongue into her navel, before quickly moving back up her body to kiss and suck at her breast. She groaned and raked her hands through his hair. The brush of his mouth and his tongue cause warm tendrils of pleasure to pulsate into her groin, but it was also a sharp agony because of her overly sensitive body. “Cullen, p-please,” she gasped, her eyes falling shut.

Cullen groaned, her husky voice giving him shivers and shooting straight to his cock. He climbed back up her body and buried in deep with one swift thrust. Evelyn gasped at the prickly sensation of his sudden penetration, but then her voice choked into short cries as he began pounding her into the mattress. On one thrust he buried himself so _deep_ that her body jolted and she cried out as she came again. She reached down and pulled on her thigh to spread herself wider, and tears stung her eyes as he continued to move against her. Her body was thoroughly enjoying everything he was doing, but it was also still wound so tight with arousal. She wasn’t finding the relief she needed no matter how many times she climax. Breathing raggedly her fingers reached up to rub and pinch at her clit, but Cullen saw what she was doing and pushed her hands aside. He pressed his hand down there and quickly rubbed her with his thumb and she threw her head back and shouted as she came again.

“Maker’s Breath,” Cullen breathed, leaning up to kiss her. He paused briefly in his motions. “Are you okay?”

“Don’t stop,” Evelyn responded and kissed him hard. She lunged up and she rolled their bodies hoping to get on top of him. Unfortunately their momentum was too much and they tumbled straight out of bed and onto the floor. Cullen landed with a sharp ‘oomph’ and Evelyn landed on top of him. “I-I’m sorry,” she panted.

“Don’t be,” Cullen immediately responded, and pulled her down for another kiss. He began snapping his hips up quickly, gripping her hips to hold her still against him. Evelyn broke the kiss and raised her head. She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped his pectorals in her hands as the familiar pooling heat filled her lower body. She couldn’t think of anything past the sensations of where their bodies joined, and she couldn’t control the words coming out of her mouth. “Maker, yes, Cullen, like that, _yes_ —”

Cullen grunted sharply beneath her, and she could tell by his increasingly erratic movements that he was close to release. She tried to wiggle out of his grip so she could properly slam down onto him, but he used his superior physical strength to keep her still. She let out a desperate whine, and her body shook once more. She shouted and rolled her hips as best as she could, and her head ached slightly as she saw bright white flashes behind her eyelids. Cullen groaned throatily and snapped his hips up in two sharp thrusts before he shuddered and released himself inside her.

Evelyn collapsed on top of him, struggling to catch her breath. She felt him soften inside her and he gently lifted her hips to pull himself out. But she felt the absence quickly and she groaned in anguish. Nothing seemed to be enough. Her body was still hot and she craved more, much _more_.

Cullen stroked a hand through her hair comfortingly. “Do you still have the curse?”

Evelyn nodded jerkily against his chest. “I…I don’t understand. Solas said we could cure ourselves, but this hasn’t gone away! Dorian and Sera seemed to be doing fine breaking theirs, but…”

“How close were you to the spell when it unleashed?”

Evelyn blinked and leaned up to look at him. “What?”

“Were you closer to the spell than everyone else when it transmutated?” Cullen asked her.

It was difficult to remember in her current state, but Evelyn still tried. “I…yes, I think so. I was standing directly in front of the spell when it changed. The Hakkonite mage was at ground zero of the spell and it vaporized him, but I…”

“Then that explains why it’s hurting you so badly,” Cullen told her. “It sounds like you got a full-blast of the spell while everyone else got aftershocks.”

“Does this means I can’t be cured?” she felt like crying. As wonderful as it was to be intimate with Cullen, her body had reached its limits.

“No, it just means we have to try harder.”

“What?” Evelyn yelped as Cullen suddenly rolled them over and she was on her back. He didn’t climb on top of her however, but instead stretched out beside her. He captured her mouth in a kiss while his hands dropped down between her legs. He used the tips of three fingers to frantically rub at her clit. “Ah!” she gasped at the electrical sensations pulsating from her groin. She spread her legs wider and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He was rubbing her so quickly that she didn’t have time to move with the motions when another orgasm hit her. She was still shaking from it when Cullen dipped his fingers down lower, through the sticky fluid, and began rubbing her whole pussy up and down. He elongated his fingers and rubbed directly over her entrance, her labia, and her swollen clit. It felt incredible and Evelyn pressed her face into his shoulder and began thrusting up against his hand. The ache was widespread, and it somehow increased her pleasure. The buildup this time was sharp, and very powerful. She gripped one hand in his hair and shouted as she came harder than she had the previous times. It’d felt so different…which indicated to her maybe something was changing in the curse.

But Cullen wasn’t done. He got up into a sitting position between her legs and thrust two fingers into her body. Evelyn let out a long moan of pleasure and dug her fingers into his thigh. He reached out with his free hand to grope and fondle her breasts, pinching the swollen nipple between his thumb and index finger. Her breaths came out in short gasps and she locked eyes with Cullen. His were half-lidded and clouded over with lust, but she didn’t miss the concern in his face. It was touching to see that he was worried for her. But another orgasm hit her and she closed her eyes, digging her fingernails so deep that she nearly drew blood. Cullen didn’t seem to notice.

To her relief the heat in her body was starting to dissipate, even though she still felt aroused. Smiling softly she held out her arms to Cullen and he complied. He leaned over her body and held her as he slid back into her. Oh…this felt very different. It still felt so good that she ached, but her body wasn’t nearly as sensitive as it’d been before. No, the feelings started to feel more natural.

_Thank the Maker, it’s almost over._

Cullen seemed exhausted as their lovemaking this time wasn’t as fast or hard. He moved against her with gentle thrusts and they kissed lazily. They locked gazes as he picked up the pace, though he still didn’t move as quickly as he did before. “I love you,” she told him.

“I love you too,” he responded, and bent down for another kiss.

“Mmmph!” she groaned against his mouth as she felt the familiar build-up in her lower body. She moved with him, grinding herself against his body as she felt the shakes and sharp pleasure abruptly release. She sagged against the floor, not even having the strength to shout in pleasure. Cullen was an entirely different matter, and he groaned loudly as he met his release.

He collapse gently on top of her, and Evelyn found comfort in his weight settling over his body. She closed her eyes and reached up to hug him, but she didn’t have the energy to do anything else. Her body was _drained_ , and she felt dizzy just lying there on the floor. But the unbearable heat was gone, and her skin no longer felt so sensitive and she didn’t feel aroused anymore. _It’s gone. It’s finally over._ She didn’t bother hiding the sigh of relief.

“Evie.” Cullen leaned back slightly. She felt the loss immediately and her body suddenly felt icy cold. Her fingers and her toes began to tingle from the chill sweeping her body and she shivered. The last time she felt even remotely close to this cold was after Haven had been buried. And while she wasn’t nearly as cold now as she was then, she couldn’t feel her own body heat and her teeth chattered.

“Evie, your body is like ice!” Cullen exclaimed. He pulled her up into his arms and quickly put her to bed. But even while buried underneath the covers she was still freezing and she pressed up against his body. “Are you all right?” He asked her, pulling her close.

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. She snuggled against him. “Thank you, Cullen. Thank you for coming, and for staying.”

“I would do anything for you,” Cullen responded. He buried a hand in her red hair. “You know that, right?”

Evelyn laughed softly. “I do.”

They lay in silence for a few moments before Cullen asked, “Just what sort of curse causes…what happened to you anyways?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care to know. But I’m sure Solas will tell me after he’s done with his research.”

* * *

 

Solas opened his eyes and sat straight up in his chair. “I’ve found it. I—” he gave pause at what he saw in front of him. “Oh. Are you the only one left?”

Cassandra was sitting cross-legged on the floor directly in front of the desk. She was twitching violently, and Solas could’ve sworn he saw two or three veins protruding from her face. “Do…you have the cure?” she ground out between her clenched teeth.

“Yes, I do,” Solas said. He wasted no time and stood up, rushing to her side. He carefully helped her to her feet. “Did everyone else decide to cure themselves?”

“Yes, and Dorian and Sera made _quite_ a show of it in the courtyard,” Cassandra rasped.

Solas started chuckling until he saw the fury in her face. “Right. Then let’s not waste any more time.” He took a couple steps back. “Hold yourself steady there.”

Cassandra nodded. Solas raised his hands and held them in front of Cassandra’s face. He closed his eyes and concentrated “ _Heca o sina srawā_!”

A burst of energy erupted from his hands and struck Cassandra in the face. The Seeker stepped backwards and swayed, blinking rapidly. Solas watched her closely as he straightened. She looked dizzy but her complexion quickly returned to normal and her body visibly looked more relaxed. “Is that better?” Solas asked her.

Cassandra seemed to think about it, and blinked once more. “…Yes,” she said at length.

“Yes?” Solas asked her again.

“Yes.”

Then she promptly fainted. Solas quickly caught her, although her armor-heavy body nearly caused him to topple over. Her cheek sagged against his shoulder and he looked at her for a long moment. “Well…your resiliency is admirable, Seeker,” he said softly.

“Ho!”

Solas looked up. Varric was approaching him and was wearing what one could describe as a “shit-eating” grin. “I came in here to check on the Seeker, but it looks like you helped her out plenty, Chuckles!” he laughed loudly.

Solas sighed painfully, and shook his head at the dwarf. “Your imagination is vivid as always, Varric.”

“No, everything that’s happened today is the funniest shit I’ve seen in years!” Varric laughed. “I’m _totally_ using it as a plot point for my next book!”

“I’m sure it will be a bestseller,” Solas said blandly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, the fanfic was supposed to end at this chapter. However, due to a personal request of a friend of mine (and fellow Dragon Age-addict) I'm drafting an extra chapter as an alternate ending. Stay tuned!


	5. Alternate Ending: Cassandra and Varric

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally. Due to the request of my friend (and popular request by readers) here is the final chapter, and alternate ending, to this fanfic. Enjoy!

Solas didn’t look like he was asleep. His body was perfectly still in the chair, and it didn’t look like he was breathing.

Cassandra has lost the strength to stomp around looking for answers, so she was left sitting on the floor of the tower, twitching and sweating and waiting for that damned apostate to wake up and cure her of her ailment. She’d been in battle against an assortment of adversaries and had been injured various different ways. None of those injuries compared to what she was feeling.

Cassandra hunched over slightly, her breathing ragged. She felt so overheated that she knew she needed to remove her armor or she would pass out. But slight movements only made her dizzy, and it stirred many uncomfortable sensations in her lower body. The last time she felt even remotely close to this was when she was intimate with Galyan—no, no, she couldn’t think about him. It would make her become emotional, and the last thing she needed at the moment was to become emotional.

 _I can endure this. I will persevere. I…_ she groaned quietly, and ducked her. _I will endure. I will wait for this cure, and…_ she shifted slightly on the floor and gasped at the sudden pleasant surge that snapped through her body. She began trembling with anger and gritted her teeth. _Maker, please give me the strength to see this through!_

“Still waiting, Seeker?”

No. No, no, no, no, _no_! The absolute last person Cassandra wanted to see was that damned dwarf! She kept her eyes closed and struggled to keep her voice steady. “Go away, Varric.”

“Well, I have to hand to you,” Varric said, seemingly not hearing her. Cassandra heard his footsteps approach her slowly. “You’re the only one who’s held out for this long. Sera and Dorian are screaming loud enough that they’re giving a show to the entire upper courtyard—”

“Did I ask you for details?!” Cassandra snapped, glaring at him over her shoulder.

“—And the Inquisitor just got a visit from Curly so I _know_ they’re doing more than talking,” Varric said nonchalantly. “And yet here you are, waiting for Chuckles to wake up to break your curse.” He paused before continuing. “But I can’t say that I’m surprised. Since you _do_ have a shortage of friends, I can’t imagine there’s too many people who would line up to—”

“Varric, just _fuck off_!” Cassandra shouted. Her voice strained towards the end and she coughed raggedly. Little tendrils of warm pleasure began vibrating in her lower abdomen and she felt tears of humiliation sting her eyes. “Please, just leave me,” she said in a shakily calm voice.

But Varric was never one to listen to her, whether it be by order or request. He knelt down so that he was the same level as her. “Damn Seeker. Pardon my language, but you look like shit.”

Cassandra glared murderously at him, but he continued before she could yell at him again. “You’re not getting any better. In fact, from the looks of things you’re just getting _worse_ sitting there. Don’t you think, for the sake of your physical and mental well-being, you stop putting up the tough-guy act and just take care of this problem yourself?”

“I…I could never stoop so low as to give in to such—carnal things!” Cassandra hissed at him.

“Really?” Varric asked her. “Even if this stupid curse could drive you insane, or worse, _kill_ you? What sort of use will you be to the Inquisitor after that?”

Cassandra shook her head furiously and looked away from him. “Go. Away. I will not tell you again.”

Varric didn’t. Instead, he leaned his chin into his palm as he looked at her in silence. Finally, he nodded and stood up. “Oh, all right.”

Cassandra sighed quietly in relief. “Thank you.”

“I’ll do the right thing and nurse you through this.”

Cassandra gaped at him in horror. He shrugged and kept his voice low. “Well, I don’t see any volunteers lining up to help you. And while technically you owe me _far_ more than I owe you, I’m too much of a gentleman to leave a lady like you suffering. Even if it _is_ you we’re talking about. So come on.” He held out a hand to her. “Let’s get this over with.”

Anger snapped through her quickly. She was angry enough to find the strength to surge to her feet. “A…Are you suggesting that I have sex with YOU, Varric?! Are you out of your mind?!”

The tower abruptly fell silent, and Cassandra went cold as she heard the echoes of _her own words_ rise up the tower. She turned red straight to her ears, and was too mortified to look up and see who had heard what she said.

Varric, however, didn’t even blink. “Well, I _was_ trying to be discreet Seeker. But…yeah. Why not?” he shrugged. “It’s just sex. What’s the big deal, Seeker? Although I can’t imagine that you—”

Cassandra grabbed him by his collar and wrung him violently. “I _swear_ to the Maker that I will end you,” she rasped in his face.

“That’s nice,” Varric responded, completely unafraid of her. “In the meantime, I can put _you_ out of your misery. Otherwise, you can sit here and wait for Chuckles to wake up. And he might not have any answers for you.”

That was a possibility that Cassandra considered but didn’t want to think about. It was hard enough being stuck in a sexually arousal state for hours on end, but what if it lasted for days? Months? Possibly _more_ months?

_No. I will truly go insane by then._

Her knees felt weak, and she realized she was practically leaning on Varric for support, even while she held him threateningly. She blinked rapidly to keep her vision focused and tried to keep her voice calm. “Why…Why in the name of the Maker would you offer this to me, Varric? I-Is this some sort of trick to humiliate me for everything I did to you?”

“Oh come on Seeker, what do you take me for?” Varric said, his tone offended. “Would I really be that kind of dwarf?”

“For me, _yes_!” Cassandra hissed.

Varric seemed to think about it. “Well…you’re not entirely wrong. I mean you _did_ kidnap me, and break my nose, and drag me all the way here from the Free Marches for really no other reason than so Divine Justinia could get my autograph.”

“I brought you here as a _witness_!”

“And so the Divine could get my autograph.”

He wasn’t wrong about _any_ of those points, but that only served to infuriate Cassandra even more.

“But I’m serious this time,” Varric said. “I’m not exactly taking joy in seeing you suffer like this, Seeker. Nobody deserves what you’re going through.” He laughed shortly. “Though I’d _kill_ to see a certain someone from Starkhaven be afflicted with this curse. But consider this a means for us to move past things. I’ll do you this one last favor, and _you_ do _me_ the favor of never talking to me again. Sound fair?”

It was too easy. _Varric_ would never offer to have sex with her to break such a humiliating curse. It seemed too out of character for him to even consider such an idea.

_“See? She’s right there. What are you waiting for?”_

And of course, Dorian’s words flooded her mind. Evelyn laughed for hours after that bit of party banter, and Cassandra was left in a state of disbelief that people thought that there was unresolved sexual tension between Varric and herself. Because there _wasn’t_.

_My mind is playing tricks on me. Because of this curse._

“W…” Cassandra hung her head slightly. “What about your…”

“Bianca?” Varric finished. “I’ll leave her outside the room so she doesn’t get jealous.”

“I’m not talking about your damned crossbow!” Cassandra snapped. “You’re in a relationship with someone, Varric! How can you offer something like _this_ to me when you have a lover?!”

“Bianca is a married woman,” Varric responded. “And my situation with her is…complicated. And let’s be honest, Seeker. Do you think that she _doesn’t_ sleep with ol’ What’s-His-Name and stay faithful to me? _I’m_ the other man in this situation, remember? And besides—it’s not like _we’re_ committing to anything, right? This is more medicinal than anything else. So if you’re worried about what this looks like in terms of _my_ relationship, this proposed arrangement looks a shit of a lot better than what my relationship with Bianca looks like. At least I don’t _think_ the Seekers of Truth will send assassins after me like Bianca’s family has sent assassins after me.”

“I’m not a Seeker anymore.”

“See? Just…look, just don’t worry about a thing and let somebody take care of you for once, all right? This is the last time I’m going to offer, Seeker, because I’m starting to look pathetic here. Even more pathetic than you, and that’s saying a lot.”

Cassandra’s breathing had turned ragged. She’d thought she was a disciplined person who could withstand anything. But this…she couldn’t withstand this. And it humiliated her to know she couldn’t withstand it.

_But do I really have anything left to lose at this point?_

Cassandra didn’t say anything. The tears were stinging her eyes harder this time, and she couldn’t look at Varric. Finally, she nodded jerkily in agreement.

“All right, let’s go Seeker,” Varric said. He nodded his head towards the door. “Can you walk?”

“Yes,” Cassandra snapped. But she wasn’t as confident as she walked awkwardly behind him. “W-Where are we going?”

“The war room.”

“W-WHAT?!” Cassandra shouted. “We—in the _war room_?! Where the Inquisitor and everyone…?”

“Yes,” Varric told her. “If you follow me back to my room, or if I follow you back to _your_ room, can you imagine the gossip? But…If we’re seen walking into the war room together, nobody will think anything of it. Plus, I can’t imagine that anyone else will be in there today, so we won’t be disturbed.”

It was an excellent point, but it was still an embarrassing proposal. _Thank the Maker I don’t participate in the main operations anymore._ She hung her head and put up no further protests as she followed Varric out of the room. She could’ve sworn she heard the conversations immediately pick up in the tower as they left, but she didn’t want to think about it.

The main hall was surprisingly empty of the Orlesian’s who liked to loiter there, but Cassandra heard loud gossip and conversations coming from the courtyard outside so she didn’t need to guess where they’d all gone. But at least it gave her less of an audience to see her walk of shame, following Varric to the war room to…relieve this blighted curse.

 _I don’t know what’s worse. That I agreed to have VARRIC help me break this curse, or the fact that I’m voluntarily participating in emotionless sex._ That last part only increased her discomfort however, and she pushed it from her mind as she followed Varric out of the main hall and into Josephine’s office.

“Oh, Cassandra! Varric!”

Cassandra stopped dead in her tracks, and her already flushed face turned even darker as Josephine obliviously rose from her seat and hurried over to them. “Well, this a surprise! It’s nice to see you both in each other’s company without trading verbal barbs or threats!”

“Now, now, Ruffles, you know I’m a total gentleman,” Varric gently corrected her. “I have never threatened the Seeker. _She_ is the only who always threatens me.”

“That…is true,” Josephine admitted, laughing a little. The laughter abruptly died though when she looked at Cassandra. “Dear Maker, Cassandra! You look unwell! I’m always telling you that you’re working too hard! Now look at yourself!”

The absolute _last_ thing Cassandra needed, while being stuck in a state of constant sexual arousal, was to get a lecture from Josephine. Just standing there perfectly still was causing the ache in her body to grow to insane heights, and she felt ready to collapse.

Varric, however, came to Cassandra’s rescue. “She’s fine, Ruffles. But never mind that, you need to get going.”

“Get going?” Josephine asked him. “Why?”

Varric shrugged. “Search me. All I know is that the Warden was asking for you, so I decided to do him a favor and summon you.”

“The Warden? D-Do you mean…?” Josephine quickly turned red. “O-Oh, really? Did he tell you why he summoned me?” she started fidgeting and wringing her hands slightly.

Cassandra was ready to snap at her to just get out when Varric continued. “Don’t know, Ruffles. But it sounded _mighty_ important.” He winked at her.

“O-Oh. Oh, my goodness.” Josephine looked herself over and checked her hair. “Then I mustn’t keep him waiting any longer!” she raced back to her desk, grabbed her clipboard (sans the candle) and hurried out of the room.

“There,” Varric said smugly. “Now we have privacy.”

“Is…” Cassandra floundered as they headed towards the war room. “Is Josephine… _dating_ that scoundrel?!”

“Pssh,” Varric said, shaking his head. “No way. But they’ve got this classic ‘puppy love’ thing going. He climbs some ridiculously high mountain every week, risking death, just to get her those flowers on her desk. And she leaves him little trinkets and shit like that for him to find.” He shook his head. “Neither of them have the nerve to act out on it, though. It’s too bad, really, because it’d be funny to tease the Hero for something _other_ than him being a fraud and a murderer. And it’d be nice to see Ruffles happy with someone.”

It was like something out of a romance novel, the classic “star-crossed lovers” thing that Cassandra didn’t think existed. But Josephine and Blackwall _definitely_ fit the stereotype, it seemed. After all, there didn’t seem to be any way for them to be happy together as a couple. Blackwall was destined to join the Gray Wardens after they defeated Corpypheus, and even if he survived the mysterious “Joining” ceremony his life would still be unequivocally committed to the Wardens. And even if he _didn’t_ join the Wardens, it was impossible for an heiress like Josephine to have any sort of relationship with Blackwall because of their drastically different stations in life. In addition to the fact that he was a fraud and a murderer.

_I almost feel bad for them. Well, for Josephine. That bastard doesn’t deserve any of my thoughts._

“And here we are,” Varric said. He casually unstrapped his crossbow from his back and carefully positioned it against the wall. “Now stay here, Bianca, and be good. No peeking.”

Cassandra let out a disgusted noise. Varric opened one of the heavy double doors and bowed dramatically to her. “After you, my Lady.”

“I’m going to kill you,” she snapped at him before storming into the room.

“Really? Even after I volunteer to help you?” Varric asked, pretending to be hurt.

Cassandra’s fingers were trembling as she removed her gloves. She shrugged off her armor and reached for the buttons of her shirt, when she realized that Varric was watching her undress. She was shocked by the slight thrill she felt from this knowledge, but she quickly squashed it. “Turn around!” she snapped, looking at him over her shoulder. “I won’t allow you to watch me undress!”

“Seeker, I’m about to have sex with you,” Varric said. “That will require me to see some skin. Unless you want to blindfold me.”

“Then how on earth would you be able to do _anything_ then?!”

“Well, which is it? Am I allowed to look at you or not?”

Cassandra panted for a short moment before responding. “Turn around. I will tell you when you can look at me.”

Varric rolled his eyes, but he did what he was told and turned around completely. Cassandra realized she was standing in front of the war table, and she knew she did _not_ want to do this with Varric on top of it. She saw an ornate chair in front of the far wall and hurried over to it. After quickly thinking about it she realized she didn’t want to take off her shirt. But she knew it was impossible to leave her pants on and she grumbled as she yanked off her boots. Her embarrassment grew and she had to close her eyes as she undid her pants and peeled them off. She knew that she should’ve been cold in the room, but her body felt so hot that she couldn’t feel it. She slowly sat down in the chair and crossed her bare legs. But the motion put a surprising amount of pressure on her groin that caused her to groan softly. She quickly uncrossed her legs but pressed her thighs together. “You…You can look now,” she said, very reluctantly.

Varric turned around. He didn’t take pause at seeing her nearly naked, and she didn’t see any admiration in his eyes. He casually approached her like normal. “So, you have a normal body underneath all that armor?”

“Of course I do!” Cassandra snapped at him, glaring and shaking in her seat. “N-Now hurry up and get this over with.”

“Come on, Seeker, what do you take me for?” Varric came to a stop directly in front of her. “What fun is there in doing this if we don’t enjoy ourselves?”

“Our enjoyment is not a priority! Breaking this curse is!”

Varric tsked at her. “No wonder you didn’t have any volunteers to help you break your curse.” With a quick motion he grabbed her knees and abruptly spread her legs.

“W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Cassandra shrieked. She snapped her legs shut.

“What?” Varric said. “You just said our enjoyment is not a priority. I thought that meant you wanted me to get started right away.”

Cassandra panted and hung her head. She couldn’t look him in the eye. “Slower,” she said quietly. “And use more…care.” She squeezed her eyes shut.

“I get it,” Varric said after a moment. He touched his hands to her knees again and lowered himself onto his knees. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to one of her knees and Cassandra gasped at the soft touch. His movements were slower this time, with a bit more care, and when he parted her legs this time Cassandra had to fight the urge to close them. She clenched her teeth and kept her eyes closed. But even then she felt a jolt of shock when Varric suddenly lowered his head and pressed his face between her legs.

“Ah!” Cassandra grabbed the arms of the chair and arched her head back. Her body rose slightly from the chair, but Varric’s mouth only followed the motion and he began licking and frantically sucking at the folds of flesh between her legs. Cassandra’s breaths came out in short pants, turning into quick sharp whines as sharp pleasure shook her being. His tongue pressed hard at her opening and she could feel her inner wall clench deliciously in anticipation. But he moved his mouth up, and one hand let go of her thigh and fingers pulled up on the skin above her groin. The motion pulled her flesh back and exposed her aching clit to his mouth. All he had to do was suck the nub into his mouth and Cassandra was done. Bright flashes filled her vision and her body jerked violently as she shouted, climaxing so hard that she felt dizzy.

She sagged against the chair, barely able to catch her breath, when Varric’s mouth was on her again. He began sucking on her again, rolling her clit with his tongue while his free hand dropped down lower. He briefly stopped his motions to suck on two fingers before the calloused digits gently massaged her opening while his mouth returned to its previous activities. Cassandra called out sharply when those two fingers slipped inside, and she shook as she came again.

Varric was apparently well-versed in this. It was actually pretty surprising to Cassandra, but she clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut as her lower body began thrusting against him. She heard him chuckle briefly and she almost snapped at him for it but her own moans drowned out her words, and her anger quickly dissipated with the sensations he was invoking in her already taut and sensitive body. The motions of his fingers quickly matched her thrusts, and he released her from his mouth, only for his tongue to rapidly flick at her clit. She groaned harshly, and grinded the back of her head against the chair as another wave overtook her.

It’d been too long since she’d been intimate with anyone, but the cravings in her body were starting to overtake her better judgment. With her third orgasm, and her body still hot and craving more, _much_ more, she grabbed Varric by his collar and pulled him up and crushed her mouth over his. She surged against him, and the motion apparently took him off-guard because he fells backwards onto the stone floor with Cassandra falling on top of him.

“You’re welcome?” Varric said breathlessly when they broke the kiss. He let out a surprised grunt when Cassandra’s hands tugged his shirt over his head and dropped down to his pants, frantically pulling at the ties. “Well, well. Who could’ve guessed you wanted me this much, Seeker?”

“Be quiet, _dwarf_ ,” she snapped, bending down for another kiss. This time he accepted it eagerly, reaching up to cup the back of her head to hold her in place. Despite his teasing she could feel his erection as she pulled it free from his pants, indicating he was aroused by the situation too (though not as much as her). She broke the kiss again, and hid her face in his neck as she sank down on top of him. The sudden delicious relief she felt at being penetrated stunned her, and she groaned throatily against his neck and shuddered as she lowered herself completely.

“ _Damn_ ,” Varric groaned, reaching up to cradle her hips. “Who knew you could actually be sexy, Cassandra?”

He used her name, and didn’t simply call her ‘Seeker’. She pulled back to look as him, but he bent his legs and thrusted up sharply into her body, and she jerked from the sudden jolt of pleasure that snapped through her body. “Uhnn!” her fingers found themselves tangled in Varric’s chest hair and she hung on as he began moving quickly against her.

The war room was a large room, so their moans and sharp cries echoed off the walls. Cassandra kept her eyes closed, feeling only a shimmer of shame as she rutted against him. Their bodies rubbed together and she gasped as she came sharply again, but she was delighted to feel that the ache that had overtaken her was starting to wane.

_It’s working. I can’t believe it, but it’s actually working!_

“You know, I actually like this…change of pace,” Varric groaned beneath her. Cassandra glared down at him, wondering why he was choosing _now_ of all times to have a conversation with her, but she couldn’t form words on her lips. “I’m so used to you shouting and cursing and…and yelling in pain. Seeing you all riled up and moaning and…” He leaned forward slightly and began thrusting faster and harder against her. “It’s refreshing, Seeker.”

Was…Was he implying he was getting _more_ out of this than physical relief? Cassandra didn’t know what to say to that. But her body kept moving on its own, and her hands left his chest and grabbed his shoulders. She pulled him up into a sitting position and they clung to each other as their motions quickened.

If anyone happened to walk in, this would surely be a shocking sight. Cassandra riding Varric and naked from the waist down, and Varric nearly naked except for his pants around his ankles. But she didn’t care. Caught up in the moment she cupped his face and kissed him. He abruptly pulled away from her, but Cassandra arched her head back when his head disappeared under her shirt and his mouth found her breasts. “ _Maker_!” she whimpered. She could feel the build-up in her lower body and her breaths turned desperate as she grinded against him. Her fingernails raked down his bare back. “Ah! Varric, I—” she didn’t know what she’d meant to say, but the words broke off as she came again. This time she screamed and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Her mouth hung open and she shook against him. Her vaginal walls squeezed him, and his own orgasm abruptly snapped through him. He grunted and dug his fingers hard into her hips, hard enough to leave imprints, but as the moment Cassandra couldn’t care. Varric eased back onto the floor, but Cassandra wasn’t done. Gasping and groaning she moved slightly against him, and panted in relief as she came again.

It was over. She knew it was over and she collapsed on top of his body. They were both gasping for breath, and Varric gently cradled her hips to lift her up off him. But Cassandra didn’t have the energy to move, and she was shocked by how hot Varric’s skin felt against hers.

“Shit, Seeker!” Varric suddenly yelped beneath her. “You’re freezing! How did that happen?!”

Cassandra realized she _was_ freezing and she began trembling violently. Varric muttered a curse word under his breath and quickly snatched his tunic off the floor. Cassandra shifted with surprise though when he pulled the tunic over her and wrapped his arms around her body. “Is it safe to say that we broke your curse?” he asked dryly.

Cassandra closed her eyes, and rested her forehead on the stone floor beside Varric’s head. She had the sudden impulse to snuggle against him, but her better judgment started to resurface. “W…What happens now?”

“Now?” Varric echoed. “What do you mean?”

“We did…this. What does this mean for us?”

Varric shrugged. “I dunno.”

Cassandra groaned harshly at his nonchalant behavior. This was _not_ what she wanted! She’d wanted to be wooed with flowers and poetry, like all the maidens in romance novels were wooed! She did not want to give in to carnal desires because of a blighted curse. And NOT with Varric Tethras of all people!

_But it **did** happen._

“Ummmm,” Varric said awkwardly, following her silence. “Uh…well, you know there’s an old saying—”

“Can you please be quiet?!” Cassandra hissed.

“Sorry. Just trying not to make this awkward.”

“Believe me, this is already awkward.”

“Well, a dwarf can still try, can’t he?”

“Varric—”

“ _’On aching branch do blossoms grow. The wind a hallowed breath. It carries the scent of honeysuckle, sweet as a lover’s—’_ ”

“A-Are you quoting _poetry_?!” Cassandra snapped, leaning up to stare down at him.

Varric shrugged. “Well, I thought it would be _more_ awkward if I quoted one of my own works. But I figured you’d at least be flattered, considering how you go gaga over _Swords and Shields_.”

I _do not_ go “gaga”!”

“Whatever you say, Seeker.”

Cassandra hesitated before speaking. “You…referred to me by name before.”

“What about it?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. But does this mean for us from here on out?”

“Like I said, I dunno. You’re still a Seeker—”

“I’m not a Seeker anymore.”

“And _I’m_ still in my complicated relationship with Bianca. I plan on going back to Kirkwall, and you probably want to stay in Orlais or Fereldan or wherever. Nothing can change between us if you don’t want it to.”

“I don’t know _how_ things can’t change between us.”

“Well, it’s simple. We don’t have to treat each other any differently. We can either go about our business like this never happened, or…” he grinned at her.

Cassandra scoffed and rolled her eyes. “You’re really full of yourself, aren’t you?”

“Hey, I’m good enough to make you scream right?”

“That was my curse, you idiot!”

“Well I’d be more than happy to prove you wrong. Wouldn’t be the first time.”

Cassandra didn’t have an answer for him so she only scoffed in disgust. Varric responded with more laughter, but he did pull her closer. And she didn’t pull away.

* * *

 

Solas opened his eyes and sat straight up in his chair. “I’ve found it. I—” he gave pause at what he saw in front of him. “So. Are you here to tell me that none of them held out?”

“It would appear so,” Leliana responded. The Spymaster looked positively amused by the situation. “Sera and Dorian had such rambunctious activities that the entire courtyard could hear them. The Inquisitor was visited by our Commander, so I assumed he help her out. And Cassandra…” she laughed softly. “Well. I would say that I’m surprised, but I’m not.”

“I see,” Solas said. “So my efforts weren’t necessary after all.”

“I’m sure the four of them would appreciate that you tried.” Leliana gave him a slight nod and turned to walk back up the stairwell of the tower.

Solas sat there for a moment of silence. “Well. That spares me the trouble of telling them my research yielded a spell I already knew.” He casually flipped open the book on his desk.

* * *

The End

**Author's Note:**

> In a move of shameless self-promotion, I would like to let everyone know that I've self-published a fantasy book on the Kindle through Amazon. It's the first book in a series and it has LGBTQ themes, so if you're interested feel free to check it out and review. Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Journey-Ahead-Blessed-Child-ebook/dp/B01N7E4L8P/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487933997&sr=1-2&keywords=the+hard+journey+ahead.


End file.
